Source Protection Area

The Sault Ste. Marie Region Source Protection Area includes the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Township of Prince, and portions of the Sault North Planning Board and extends out into the St. Marys River to the international border along its entire width. The St. Marys River is the connecting channel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.

The Sault Ste. Marie Region is one watershed, comprised of 17 sub-watersheds with a land area of 775 square kilometres.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie depends on surface water from Lake Superior above the St. Marys River and groundwater from six wells within the watershed for its sources of municipal drinking water.

The landforms and physical features of our watershed play a vital role in the movement of ground and surface water within the West, Central and East Basins.

Watercourses in the Precambrian uplands predominantly drain south toward the St. Marys River. Along the western edge of the uplands, the watercourses drain westward toward Lake Superior. The majority of the sub-watersheds drain southward, drawing flow off from the upland and the lowland areas.

Want to learn more about watersheds? Find out about key concepts like how water moves in a watershed, what we do upstream impacts the watershed downstream, and the benefits of healthy watershed at Watersheds 101.